Minister of Local Government and Labour Gunnar Berge

Ministry of local government and labour

Groundbreaking Ceremony - Scandinavian Casting Center

Statement in Lista 3th september

Dear Mr. Witt, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen.

It is a great pleasure for me to take part in this ceremony here today. Norwegian media have last week paid a lot of attention to another event concerning Norwegian industry. The actual issue has been the question of closing down or further running of one of our cornerstone plants within the pulp sector, and the decision of the plants future has not yet been made. These two different kinds of events in one week shows the dynamic character of modern society and business life.

This new industrial venture here at Lista represents one of the most important onshore industrial establishments in Norway in resent years. Important in more than one respect;

As minister for regional development and labor, it is with great satisfaction I'm hearing that this factory in a year or two, is going to employ several hundred workers, and will, therefore, be a valuable contribution to the reduction of unemployment rates in the region.

Secondly: It is a general agreement in Norway that the Norwegian economy far too much is dependent on export of raw materials. It has therefore been a central goal for Norwegian industrial policy for years to highten the share of processed goods in Norwegian exports. In this respect, the establishment of this new automotive parts factory here at Lista is an important contribution to the development of Norwegian industry and the fulfillment of a central goal in the governments industrial policy.

At this moment I will also add the very important point that the agreement between A-CMI and SIVA contains more than the establishment of a production unit here at Lista. This is just the first part of the agreement. The agreement also includes plans for strategic co-operation between A-CMI and Norwegian suppliers. This part of the agreement represents a very promising opportunity for Norwegian companies who wish to expand their business within the automotive parts industry. Lastly the agreement includes a planned cooperation between SIVA, A-CMI and SINTEF on technology transfer.

SIVA - The Industrial Development Corporation of Norway - is a preferred partner for Norwegian and international players intending to establish new alliances, access the best infrastructure and map new investment potentials in Norway. For 30 years SIVA has remained a major participant in development of modern, industrial Norway. Therefore SIVA was a natural choice for Norwegian authorities as our instrument in the early dialogue with A-CMI, at a time when A-CMI still was considering several location alternatives in Europe.

It is my wish that the agreements obtained, will give the expected returns to all of the partners. On behalf of the Norwegian government, I want to thank Mr. Witt and A-CMI for the confidence you have given Norway, by chosen Lista as location for your investments and for chosen Norwegian partners for future co-operation. I also wish to thank SIVA at this moment for a well done job. With all my best wishes for prosperity for this project I hereby invite you to join me in this foundation-stone ceremony.

This box contains today's copy of the local newspaper "Farsund avis," a Norwegian and an American coin, the construction drawings and an aluminum part which will be produced at this factory in the future. Together with the inscription on top of the box, which says:

"Groundbreaking Ceremony - Scandinavian Casting Center, September 1996," I hope that in a thousand years from now, this will be of great help to archeologists in their efforts to understand human history.